Athlete awarded ACAC Scholastic Award for excellent performance

For forward Joel Hamilton, balancing outstanding academic and athletic performance is no sweat.

Hamilton was awarded the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) top scholastic achiever award on March 16, matching his team-leading 28 points with a 3.94 GPA in Business Administration in the fall semester.

Hamilton offered a simple explanation for his success – time management.

“I usually just delegate a couple hours every night to make sure I get my work done,” he said, whether that work was done “on the road or on the bus.”

About to graduate from SAIT, Hamilton plans to put his Business Administration degree to good use. He said that he will probably return to his family cattle farm northwest of Calgary, which he would like to run one day.

However, he has “a bit of an entrepreneurial itch” as well and hopes to run an agricultural or construction business or two on the side.

“Whatever catches my eye at that time, I guess.”

The Trojans men’s team’s season ended in early March after losing in the quarter-finals of the ACAC playoffs. However, that wasn’t necessarily the end of Hamilton’s hockey career.

He said he hopes to sign with a professional team in Europe over the summer.

“My parents are awesome about supporting me and letting me fulfill the things that I want to do before I come back and put my roots down here at home,” he said.

It would be another level in a long amateur career. Hamilton spent four seasons in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Red Deer Rebels, Vancouver Giants and Kamloops Blazers.

From there, he spent one year playing for the University of British Columbia (UBC), before going to SAIT in order to be closer to home after being away for so long.

The family business helped give him his work ethic, and he also comes from a hockey family. His two older brothers have also played hockey at a high level.

Hamilton’s oldest brother Wyatt played for five years in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) and four for UBC, while middle brother Wacey also played in the AJHL and WHL, and has played in the semi-professional American Hockey League since 2011.

Hamilton said that growing up, he looked up to his brothers, who were six and four years older.

“By the time it was time for me to start choosing sports, I didn’t even bat an eye.”

“Our whole family loves the game and has always had a hockey history.”

He admitted it was “a little bit of a shock” to win ACAC top scholastic achiever.

He said he “never considered himself at the top.” – “I don’t want to make it seem like I’m boasting.”